Beauty and the Bookshelf: Blog Tour: Daughters unto Devils by Amy Lukavics

Hello, bookish monsters! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Daughters unto Devils by Amy Lukavics! This book, which I've seen called "Little Hell House on the Prairie," looks hella creepy, which is grotesquely, fantastically excellent. And with Halloween around the corner, this is probably a terrifyingly perfect read. Amy is here talking about horror, and there's a giveaway for your very own copy of Daughters unto Devils! It's not haunted. I'm 99.9% positive.

Horror in the Past vs. Horror in the Future

Writing horror that's set in the past certainly has a few spooky advantages, the most obvious one being that getting your characters isolated and without help isn't very difficult. No cell phones! No 911! And, in the case of my story (since it went all the way back to the 1800's,) no electricity period!

The only transportation options in Daughters unto Devils are to walk, ride your horse, or assemble a covered wagon (and attach it to an ox or a few horses.) A quick getaway is a no-go when there isn't a car parked outside, and supplies like food and water aren't easy to acquire, and everything is spread so far apart from each other.

Likewise, the time period/setting of a story (particularly in horror) can be enormously relevant while creating the tone and atmosphere. Being stuck in the middle of a seemingly endless sea of prairie lands, with the closest town being a day's worth of travel away, contributes to the isolated, lonely feeling that my main character struggles with. The atmosphere created by the time period also helps the tension build as the story goes on.

Even though my next novel after Daughters unto Devils takes place in modern day, I had such a blast writing a story set in the 1800's, and would most definitely consider writing another story set in the past down the road!

Title: Daughters unto Devils

Author: Amy Lukavics

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publishing Date: September 29, 2015

Pages: 231

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

When sixteen-year-old Amanda Verner's family decides to move from their small mountain cabin to the vast prairie, she hopes it is her chance for a fresh start. She can leave behind the memory of the past winter; of her sickly Ma giving birth to a baby sister who cries endlessly; of the terrifying visions she saw as her sanity began to slip, the victim of cabin fever; and most of all, the memories of the boy she has been secretly meeting with as a distraction from her pain. The boy whose baby she now carries.

When the Verners arrive at their new home, a large cabin abandoned by its previous owners, they discover the inside covered in blood. And as the days pass, it is obvious to Amanda that something isn't right on the prairie. She's heard stories of lands being tainted by evil, of men losing their minds and killing their families, and there is something strange about the doctor and his son who live in the woods on the edge of the prairie. But with the guilt and shame of her sins weighing on her, Amanda can't be sure if the true evil lies in the land, or deep within her soul.

Ever since she was little, Amy Lukavics was especially intrigued by horror books and movies. Raised in a small mountain town in Arizona, she sustained herself on a steady diet of Goosebumps, Fear Street, and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books before discovering Stephen King in her mother's bookshelf.

Amy lives with her husband, their two precious squidlings, and an old gentleman cat by the name of Frodo. When she isn't writing, she enjoys cooking, crafting, and playing games across many platforms.

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Three lucky winners in the US/Canada will win their very own copy of Daughters unto Devils!*

*Anti-haunting repellent not included.
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